New Year’s Eve (and Day) Binges!

We here at Talk Nerdy With Us enjoy good binge TV and you will often find us in our virtual break room comparing our latest binge fare and recommending new binges.  With New Year’s Eve coming up in a couple of days, we decided to put together a list for anyone looking to binge TV on NYE, NYD or both!

To enhance your viewing experience we’ve taken the concept of binge TV one step further and are recommending drinks and snacks (all easy to prepare) to make your New Year holiday something to remember.  So invite some friends over, or put on your comfiest pajamas select your favorite binge (or try a new one) and ring in the New Year Talk Nerdy style!

Contributing to this article are Michele, Arlene, McKenzie, Amna, Annie, Talya, Shadia, AJ, Jenni, Stacy, Hillary and Rachel.

 

The 100

Sangria, spicy Chex Mix and popcorn with melted chocolate

Basic Sangria* serves 10, mix in a pitcher

5 oz orange flavored vodka

5 oz orange flavored cognac liquor (such as Triple Sec)

10 oz red wine (your favorite)

5 oz orange juice

5 oz pomegranate juice

2.5 oz simple syrup

Combine ingredients in a pitcher, mix well and add ice.  Garnish with orange slices, apple slices and pomegranate seeds.

 

SyFy Twilight Zone Marathon

Eggnog and Pirate’s Booty

Eggnog can be premade store-bought and you can add rum or brandy as desired – or not as the case may be.  Garnish with nutmeg.

 

Hart of Dixie

Banana bread muffins and Vanilla Escape

Vanilla Escape* serves 10

15 oz vanilla flavored vodka

20 oz pineapple juice

2.5 oz sour mix

2.5 oz raspberry liquor

Mix all in a pitcher, add ice and chill.  Serve with pineapple wedges as a garnish.

 

Jessica Jones

Shots of whiskey, beer or Manhattans with popcorn and pizza (your favorite delivery or Bagel Bites)

Bailey’s, eggnog and Ghirardelli chocolates

Manhattan* makes one

1 oz whiskey (your favorite works)

½ oz sweet vermouth

1 dash bitters

Mix together.  Shake with ice to chill, strain into a stemmed glass.  Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

 

Game of Thrones

Hot Buttered Rum, mead, beef skewers, lemon cakes, salted bread

Hot Apple-Buttered Rum* (serves 6)

6 oz rum (use your favorite)

24 oz boiling water

12 oz dark brown sugar

6 oz unsalted butter

3 oz honey

3 oz apple butter

18 dashes cinnamon

12 dashes nutmeg

6 dashes ground clove

Combine non-rum ingredients in a mixing bowl (or saucepan), and stir (using a whisk) until well-blended and smooth.  Add rum and boiling water.  Stir until butter mixture dissolves.  Garnish with apple slices.

 

Football! Or The 4400

Beer, gin and tonic or margaritas, Queso with sausage and tortilla chips

Chile con Queso (courtesy of Ree Drummond at the Food Network), serves 15

1 lb hot breakfast sausage (your favorite)

1 onion diced

2 lb processed cheese such as Velveeta

1 can diced tomatoes and chiles (Rotel is one brand)

2 cans chopped green chiles

1 jalapeno, diced (optional)

Chips for dipping

Brown the sausage and onion in a large nonstick skillet, breaking the sausage up as you go. Once browned, drain off some of the fat.

Chop the cheese block into cubes and add along with the diced tomatoes and green chiles and chopped green chiles, juice and all.

Cook over a low heat until it all starts coming together. Then stir in the diced jalapeno. Serve with chips.

 

Heartland

Beer or wine and assorted nibbles

 

Battlestar Galatica

Sonic Screwdriver, chips and salsa

Screwdriver* (serves 6)

9 oz vodka (use vanilla flavored and you have a creamsicle)

36 oz orange juice

Combine vodka and orange juice in a pitcher with ice.

 

Girl Meets World

Kiddie cocktails and popcorn

 

Friday Night Lights

Beer and wings

Baked Buffalo Wings (Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond and the Food Network)

¾ cup flour

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

20 chicken wings

½ cup melted butter

½ cup red pepper sauce (ex. Frank’s Red Hot)

Chop the cheese block into cubes and add along with the diced tomatoes and green chiles and chopped green chiles, juice and all.

Cook over a low heat until it all starts coming together. Then stir in the diced jalapeno. Serve with chips.

 

Supernatural

Whiskey, beer, bacon cheeseburger sliders, salt and vinegar chips, fried dill pickles, pizza and a veggie tray for Sammy

Fried Pickle Chips (courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

½ cup buttermilk

Salt and pepper to taste

One 16 oz jar of dill pickle chips

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups corn meal

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (or equivalent)

¼ tsp Cajun seasoning

1 quart oil for deep-frying

Ranch dressing for dipping

Cover a plate with parchment paper or wax paper. In a shallow dish, combine buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Place pickles in mixture and set aside.

Pour the flour, cornmeal, seafood seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning into a large, resealable plastic bag; shake to mix well. Add pickles a few at a time and tumble gently to coat evenly with the flour mixture. Remove and place on prepared plate.

Heat oil to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C) in deep-fryer or heavy deep skillet.

Fry pickles in several batches until golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside with a moist interior, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Serve ranch dressing as a dipping sauce for warm pickles.

 

New Girl

Margaritas with veggies and dip

Margarita Legendario* (serves one)

1 oz tequila blanco

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

½ oz fresh lime juice

Lime wedges for garnish

Add tequila, Grand Marnier, and fresh lime juice.

Shake and strain over ice.

Salt rim of rocks glass.

Garnish with lime wedge.

 

Gilmore Girls

Pizza and soda

 

Suits

Martinis, Manhattans or Scotch

Caviar and assorted quiches

 

Misfits

Cider, beer and Hot Wings (recipe above)

 

Olympus

Red wine and kebobs, especially lamb kabobs

Moroccan Lamb Kabobs (recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

2 lbs ground lamb

1 cup raisins

5 oz goat cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 red onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tblsp chopped fresh cilantro

1½ tsp ground Cayenne pepper

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

Salt to taste

Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. You can also broil these using a broiler pan (line bottom pan with foil for easy clean up).

In a medium bowl, mix together ground lamb, raisins, goat cheese, mayonnaise, red onion, garlic, cilantro, cayenne pepper, cumin, ground coriander, salt and black pepper. Divide the mixture into approximately 6 even portions, and press around skewers.

Place skewers on the grill. Cook approximately 4 minutes per side, or until the cheese has melted, the raisins are tender and lamb has reached desired doneness.

 

Friends

Coffee (can add Bailey’s or some Irish whiskey for a more potent drink), pizza and sandwiches

 

House of Cards 

Bourbon on the rocks and ribs

Dry Rub for Ribs (courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

3 tblsp brown sugar

1½ tblsp paprika

1½ tblsp salt

1½ tblsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

Mix together and rub on ribs.  For best results let rubbed ribs rest overnight in the refrigerator.

 

Beauty and the Beast 

Root beer, chips and salsa and Hot Wings (recipe above)

 

Chicago Fire 

Beer – try Goose Island or Two Brothers both brewed in the Chicago area and of course Chicago style deep dish pizza

There you have our binge recommendations!  If you have others that we haven’t thought of, feel free to leave your suggestions in the comment area of this post.  Also, if you use one of our suggestions we want to know how it went and what you thought.

 

*All drinks recipes are courtesy of thebar.com